A Padawan Tradition
by Shell-Shocked-NinjaTurtleGal
Summary: Star Wars Rebels verse! Ever since taking Ezra under his wing as his Padawan, Kanan has been trying to find ways to help connect Ezra with the Jedi way. From stories of Jedi masters, to old pictures of the temple, Kanan has been doing all he can, trying to establish the idea in Ezra that he isn't alone, and there were others like him. And now he's found another connection.


**Hello all my fellow awesome Star Wars fans! I'm Shell-Shocked-NinjaTurtleGal, but I'm also known as 'EzraTheRebelsFan' when I review as a guest!**

**So, this is my first real attempt at a Star Wars Rebels Oneshot! I'm really excited about the series, and have had so many ideas! I really like the family-like structure of the group, and Im excited to see how the show builds on the teacher-student friendship with Kanan and Ezra (Ezra's my total fav character right now!)**

**I hope to write some more Oneshots that are like this, that build on the friendship between Ezra and Kanan (Possibly try to make it like a father-son sorta thing later on!) but I first want to know if I'm able to write the characters correctly! If any of you awesome readers have any suggestions on how to improve writing the characters, or any plot ideas for a future fic, I'd be more than glad to know!**

**My disclaimer is on my profile, by the way! And I'm sorry if there are any spelling problems, spellcheck isn't very fond of me x.x**

**I really hope you all enjoy reading this, and please review!**

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><p>Kanan strode down the short corridor of the <em>Ghost<em>. After a long few hours of helping check over the ships' systems, he wanted nothing more than to sit down.

He started to pass by the door to Ezra's quarters, feeling the teen's now familiar presence. He then paused for a second, before he turned to the door, lightly rapping his knuckles against the metal frame. He frowned when there was no reply from inside. Turning to the panel, Kanan entered an override code, and the door slid open with a soft hiss.

Stepping in, Kanan barely managed to duck in time as a datapad floated overhead. Other objects drifted about as well, and Kanan knew by now what that meant. Ezra was meditating.

Kanan smiled slightly to himself, straightening and crossing his arms as his gaze fell upon the teen who sat on his knees at the center of the room. He remembered teaching Ezra about meditation two months prior. He'd thought it would be hard to teach the short-attention-spanned teen, but he'd been proven wrong almost immediately. The youth had taken to it like a fish to water, more than happy to clear his mind of worries that constantly plagued him. The only thing was that anyone approaching the teen had to remember one thing: to _duck_. When not focusing, Ezra's abilities were unpredictable (and that term was rather light) and therefore items that weren't anchored down tended to...well, float, as they were now.

Pride flashed through Kanan's eyes as he watched his young friend- no, his young _Padawan_.

Finally, Kanan decided to break the silence.

"Ezra?"

Bright, electric blue eyes snapped open as the teen jumped in alarm, his head turning quickly. The items that drifted lazily about in the air dropped to the ground.

"Blast it, do you _like_ scaring me or something?!" Ezra demanded, standing up and dusting off his pants. Kanan smirked.

"Just a hobby." He teased, chuckling. "So, I'm guessing your meditation went well. You didn't even sense me enter the room."

The scowl on Ezra's face changed into a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"W-Well..."

Kanan grinned in return, eyeing the scattered items on the floor pointedly. Ezra glanced at them as well, then turned, hurriedly gathering them up and stuffing them inTo drawers.

"Yeah, I forgot to pack these up before I started." He muttered, cheeks dusted a soft red in embarrassment.

"I see." The older human replied, eyes searching the room.

Grey steel walls shone slightly under the lights of the room. Drawers were inlaid in the wall to the room's right, most containing clothes, probably. In the back wall there was an alcove, with a comfortable-looking bedroll, and a simple mirror hanging over it. Some pictures were painted on the walls, no doubt Sabine's handy-work, and a mark of friendship between the two teens. A holoclock was on the wall, counting time second by second. An old, dented trooper helmet, a trophy that Ezra had brought from Lothal, sat on a small shelf, along with a datapad, Ezra's journal.

Kanan crossed over to the bedroll, sitting down on the pallet.

"So!" Ezra said, turning to Kanan, embarrassment gone now that the objects were placed away. "What's up? Did'ja need something?"

Kanan shook his head, resting his elbows on his knees, fingers threading together.

"Nah. I was just passing by your room, so I thought I'd check in on you."

Ezra looked suspicious.

"Did Zeb say I was messing with the ship's systems again? Because I wasn't! I've been meditating for," A glance at the holoclock. "Three hours-"

He then froze, taking a double take. Kanan chuckled.

"Relax. It isn't unusual to lose track of time while in deep meditation." He assured.

"Yeah, but_ three hours_? I mean that's just _crazy_!"

Kanan watched, amused, as Ezra paced about while tugging at a lock of long raven hair frustratedly.

And that's what got Kanan thinking. Ever since he'd taken young Ezra under his wing, the man had been trying to find ways to help connect Ezra with the way of the Jedi, help him understand that there had been others just like him. Certain training exercises, stories of the temple and the other Jedi he'd know, sharing the Jedi code, all this was in hopes of establishing a sense of belonging for Ezra. And now, he'd thought of another way, of something that had completely slipped his mind.

"Ezra, c'mere." He called, gesturing to the teen. The youth paused, looking slightly surprised, then shuffled over. Kanan patted the spot to his right in silent invitation, and Ezra sat, looking now confused.

Ezra jumped in alarm when Kanan reached up, taking a lock of raven hair.

"Uh, what're you doing?"

Kanan smiled slightly at his Padawan's utter confusion.

"When I took you as my student, I completely forgot something. A Padawan braid." Ezra turned his head to look at Kanan, but the man pushed it back forward. "Don't move, or I'll mess up."

"What's a Padawan braid?" Ezra asked, trying to look at his mentor from the corner of his eye.

"Tradition." Was Kanan's simple reply.

"I kinda need more than that to understand."

The man chuckled as he began to carefully weave the hair in a small braid.

"It was what showed if someone was a Padawan learner. It's all but forgotten now, so no one will realize it's meaning, aside from you and I...and the others, if you want to tell them."

"So...it's kinda like a secret?" Ezra asked, sitting up a little straighter. He liked secrets.

Kanan chuckled at the childish curiosity that shone in Ezra's bright blue eyes.

"Yeah. I guess so."

Silence fell for a moment, Kanan continuing to fiddle with the raven hair, trying to ensure that he braided it correctly. Ezra, being- well, _himself_, fidgeted constantly, trying his best to sit still.

"Take it easy, Ezra. I'm almost done. Here," He took one of the teens hands, guiding it to the end of the braid. "Hold this while I grab something to tie it with."

After ensuring that youth had a good hold on it, Kanan stood, quickly going to his own quarters, which were next to Ezra's. Locating a spare hair tie, he returned to Ezra's room. The teen looked rather uncomfortable.

"Hurry up! My arm's falling asleep!" He complained. Kanan laughed, moving forward. He took hold of the braid, smirking when Ezra gave a sigh of relief and rolled his shoulder in an attempt to regain feeling in his arm.

Once the tie was twisted and knotted, Kanan let the braid fall into place. It rested on the right side of Ezra's head, only slightly visible against the curtain of black hair, but the light blue hair tie stood out. It looked in no way feminine, and suited the youth quite well, in fact. Smiling, he offered a hand to Ezra, pulling him to his feet. He took the teen's thin shoulders and had him turn to look in the mirror.

"Well?" Kanan asked. His smile widened when he saw awe cross Ezra's features. The teen turned his head, watching the Padawan braid swing slightly.

"Cool..."

Laughing softly, Kanan patted Ezra's shoulder.

"Glad you like it." He smiled to himself as a sense of nostalgia hit him. "I remember getting mine. I thought it looked so _girly_, at first."

Ezra looked up at him.

"What changed?"

Stormy eyes turned down to meet the innocent blue gaze.

"I realized it was something to be proud of. I was being trained as a _Jedi_, one of the few chosen to be a protector of the universe. And now...now so are you."

Pride flashed through Ezra's eyes, and he stood a little taller.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Usually am." Kanan teased. He gave Ezra's shoulders a squeeze before releasing them. "Now, I gotta go get some sleep, before I'm dragged off to check on the ship's systems again. Go get something to eat, alright? You need it after meditating for so long."

The teen nodded, and Kanan headed towards the door.

"Hey Kana-...Master?"

The man halted, looking back.

"Yeah?"

Ezra smiled, and it wasn't a half one or a smirk like it usually was. It was a real, full-blown smile.

"Thanks."

Kanan returned the smile, inclining his head.

"Any time."


End file.
